The Unimaginable
by Lily Hanson
Summary: As a parent, there are things you want to see happen to your child. This is not one of them.
1. A Mother's Choice

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Ninja Steel._

Jenny felt her heart racing as she put down her phone. She leaned against the counter, gripping the sides of it tightly.

Kathryn Baker was a free woman.

Jenny was still processing the details. Her lawyer had tried to explain that though Jenny had been caught red handed by the Silver Guardians, her connection to Sarah had made the jury question whether this was a kidnapping out of malice, or an estranged mother making a desperate attempt to reunite herself with her daughter.

Jenny knew the truth. At least, she knew what Bill had told her and she had no reason to doubt his stories. Not to mention, when she had confronted Kathryn on her own, she felt uncomfortable around the woman. Kathryn did not portray herself as a woman in an unfortunate situation. She wanted to be in her position.

However, juries were always a bit of a toss up. Some were easier to manipulate and if the defense attorney could present reasonable doubt, it didn't really matter what kind of evidence the prosecutor could bring to the table. Jenny's lawyer insisted that the state had done everything they could, but the defense was just a little stronger.

It meant Kathryn was free, back on the streets, ready to roam. Usually, for Jenny, that wouldn't be a problem. What she chose to do with her time and her body was her own business, and the men she took money from were all well aware of what they were getting themselves into.

Where Sarah was concerned was where Jenny felt stressed. Sarah still didn't know the woman who had kidnapped her was her biological mother. Jenny had intended to keep it that way. Bill had kept Sarah's mother's identify from her for years, and Sarah had just enough memory of her mother not to question her father's choice. For Sarah, it was the right call to make and Jenny wasn't going to go against that. But now, she was having serious doubts. Maybe it was better if Sarah knew. She could keep her guard up. If Kathryn did try to reach her, she would be more aware of the situation.

"You're not looking too hot," Shane said as he walked into the kitchen, making his way to the fridge for a snack. Jenny shook her head.

"Kathryn is free."

Shane froze for a moment as those words hit his ears. Then he turned to his sister, his eyes wide.

"How?"

"Stupid jury."

"You're serious? But she kidnapped, and what she planned on doing… They just let her go?"

Jenny nodded her head. She couldn't believe it herself. It seemed surreal, like she was about to wake up from this nightmare and realize none of it was true. However, no matter how many times she pinched herself or willed her body to wake up, it didn't happen.

"What are you going to tell Sarah?" Shane asked. Jenny shrugged her shoulders. She really didn't know.

She hated this part of parenting. There was no right answers, no guidance. She had made peace with the fact that all parents, whether new or experienced, were just figuring out what to do as they went. Every child, even children raised in the same household, were separate cases, which meant what worked for one child, may not be right for the other.

A pounding headache started to build up. Jenny reached for the aspirin.

"I don't know," she told her brother. "Everything? Nothing?"

"You can't tell her nothing," Shane shook his head. It was easy for him to give advice. This wasn't his child. She knew Shane had grown to care deeply for Sarah. He was her uncle, after all, but it wasn't the same care she had as a mother. When Jenny's role in Sarah's life had switched from step-mother to only parent, her care and love for Sarah seemed to increase ten-fold. Jenny had no idea she could feel so much for someone, especially someone not related by blood.

So it was easier for Shane to tell her what to do. It was easier for him to say what he thought. He didn't have the same conflicts as her. He wasn't taking the same risks.

"Kathryn may have learned her lesson," Jenny argued. "Not many people wrestle with a tiger twice. She might want nothing to do with Sarah."

"Jenny, this is a woman who kidnapped her own daughter and tried to sell her to her pimp to make money. That's not exactly a person of reason."

"It's common sense to avoid a tiger."

"And is that tiger guarding Sarah 24/7? Jenny, you should at least tell Sarah about the trial. She needs to know Kathryn's free."

Jenny sighed. She was beginning to wish her lawyer had kept her out of this. She wished he never told her about Kathryn. That she could live her life in ignorance, not having to worry something would happen.

"She's a Ranger," Shane reminded her. "That counts for something."

"It didn't help her last time," Jenny said.

"What would Bill have done?" Shane asked. "Was he about transparency? Would he have told Sarah everything?"

"No," Jenny shook her head.

"Do you think that would have been the right call? Would you have agreed with his decision?"

"I wouldn't have questioned it. I let him do whatever he thought was right with Sarah. He was her father."

"But Jenny, you had to have an opinion," Shane insisted. "You didn't just suddenly start caring for her when Bill disappeared. There must have been times where Bill made a decision and you didn't think it was right. Would this have been one of those times?"

"He was a great father," Jenny shook her head. "I guess not."

"Then I guess that's your answer," Shane said. He grabbed an apple off the counter. "We'll see if it's the right one."

-Ninja-Steel-

Sarah had called to let Jenny know she would be home late. She had been out training with the Rangers and then they decided to go out for ice cream. Jenny told herself that they were together, and that even though Sarah was still limping from her injuries, she would be safe. She told herself that Sarah was still within her curfew hours and there was no reason to be worried yet.

And still, she worried. With everything passing minute where Sarah wasn't home, Sarah's odds of running into trouble increased.

Finally, the door opened and Sarah called out that she was home. Jenny heard the door shut and then Sarah locked it. Finally, Jenny could relax a little.

"Did you have fun?" she called out as Sarah walked into the living room. The pink Ranger sat down on the couch and raised her leg up, massaging it after her long day.

"I did," she smiled. "Preston was able to do a little magic show in the park. He got the attention of a few little kids."

"And after?" Jenny asked. If kids were involved, this had to have been before sunset. Jenny knew Kathryn's working hours were at night, when the sun was gone. That was when Jenny felt the most worried.

"We were just chilling," Sarah shrugged. "How was your day?"

 _Terrible. Awful._

"It was long," Jenny answered so as not to alarm Sarah. "The lawyer called."

"Is the trial over?"

"It is," Jenny nodded. "Kathryn is free."

"She's… free?"

"The jury bought into her sob story. They let her go."

"On everything?"

"Everything. I guess they saw her as the victim."

"Oh," Sarah said. She looked down at her wound, tracing it over the bandage. Jenny watched her, her own heart breaking. She had been lucky. Sarah was alive and well and was expected to make a full recovery. Her kidnapping could have been a lot worse. Jenny was also lucky that Sarah was strong willed. She wasn't going to let one unfortunate situation scar her for the rest of her life. She had put it behind her.

However, that had been when Sarah had been sure that Kathryn and the other two men would spend the rest of their lives in jail. That had been when that chapter in her life had a definite end.

"How are you feeling?" Jenny asked. Sarah shrugged.

"I guess I'll just have to watch my back a bit more," she answered. She looked to her step-mother. "But you don't think they'll come after me again, right? That was just a one-off. Wrong place, wrong time?"

Jenny felt like she had been punched in the chest with those words. Sarah didn't know the connection, and so had been lead by what she knew to believe that Kathryn and her helper had seen her and got lucky with their kidnap. Sarah assumed she was just another statistic.

She didn't know she had been their target. That it was Kathryn's plan to come after her.

Jenny wanted to omit the truth. It would be easier not to bring it up and let Sarah believe whatever she wanted. However, Sarah had asked her now. If Jenny were to lie, it would be a direct lie.

"I hope so," she said. _Parents lie to their kids all the time,_ she told herself in hopes of easing her guilt. Sarah nodded her head.

"Then hopefully I have nothing to worry about," Sarah said with a smile. She rose to her feet and started to make her way to her room, "But I promise I'll be careful."

"Sounds good," Jenny said with a heavy heart as she let Sarah go to her room. Once Sarah was gone, Jenny let out a deep breath leaned back into the couch. "At least she's safe right now. She's home, the door's locked, Shane's here. No one's getting in. No one's getting out."

She looked around the room again. She doubled checked the front door was locked, then checked that all the windows were closed. She also closed all the curtains. She didn't want anyone peeking in.

She made her way upstairs and did the same with all the windows and curtains on the second floor. Then, when she went to sleep in the guest bedroom, she left the door open. If someone was walking around in the middle of the night, Jenny wanted to know about it.

Jenny tucked herself into bed but couldn't close her eyes, afraid that if she did, someone might sneak past her. She looked up to the ceiling.

"I live with two Power Rangers," she said to herself, yet that didn't make her feel anymore comfortable. Somehow, she had two superheroes in her home and this was still the most scared she had ever been.


	2. Kathryn's Tale

Kathryn could feel her blood boiling as she watched one of her regulars pick up some other girl off the street. She was younger than Kathryn – perkier. She was much more appealing to men than Kathryn was, and this was the reason more and more of her regulars were leaving her for someone else.

Kathryn knew she still had her charms. Though her age wasn't ideal, it did mean she had plenty of experience. She knew what men liked, especially her regulars. She could read their wishes before they could even think to ask for it. She did what she did and she did it well. Her johns were always satisfied when they left.

She knew this younger woman wouldn't satisfy him completely. She knew this younger woman, who was still new to the game, would have a bit of learning to do. Breaking in, as Kathryn called it. She would be hurt, she wouldn't have the same endurance. She couldn't play the role as well as Kathryn did. Not until she had a few years behind her.

However, she was worth a lot. When it came down to it, men were shallow. They wanted looks and they wanted youth. If they wanted to play around with a woman their own age, they would stay at home with their wives.

She was the oldest worker and it was starting to show. She brought in less money than the other girls, which satisfied Drex less and less. He had threatened to kick her out, leave her on her own. She knew she wouldn't last long. She wasn't making enough money anymore to support herself.

The idea of becoming a madam seemed appealing to her. She would rarely have to satisfy men anymore, and instead could focus her time on coaching and caring for the younger girls who were taking her job. She would be able to manage their earnings, which would be enough to get her by, even after passing along some of that money to Drex.

She had offered up this solution to Drex and he agreed on a single condition. She had to get him a girl. She had to show him she knew what she was doing before he gave her a little more control.

Summer Cove was the new home of the Power Rangers. Kathryn didn't think that would have a big impact on her business, but it did. People were moving out and runaways were avoiding coming to the city because there would be nowhere safe for them to stay. Too many people were needing shelters on a regular basis while their homes were being rebuilt. It was severely lowering Kathryn's chances of rescuing a girl off the streets.

However, sixteen years before, she had gotten herself into a little trouble. She had been sleeping with a john when she suddenly found herself pregnant. She couldn't believe she had let herself get into this mess, and she had been sure Drex would drop her then and there. Men didn't enjoy sleeping with a pregnant woman, and they certainly wouldn't pay for it, especially as she started rounding out. Kathryn considered aborting the child, which Drex would have happily paid for to get her back on the streets quickly. She had been about to go through with it when the john who got her pregnant called her back. When it was revealed to him that she was carrying his baby, he didn't want to lose it. He begged her to keep the baby and offered up cash, every week, to keep her and Drex happy.

Kathryn had no idea why this john would want to keep her baby so much, but she did as he asked. It would mean guaranteed money for the next few months of her pregnancy and she would be able to take it easy. Even Drex had agreed, surprisingly. He just cared about the money.

When her baby, Sarah, was born, Kathryn expected Drex would want her to get rid of it. She assumed since the father wanted his daughter so bad, she would pass her off to him and that would be the end of it. She could get back to business as usual and put it all behind her. Drex had other ideas. He kept Sarah, he let Kathryn look after her during the day and he watched her while she was working, though Kathryn was sure that by _watch_ he meant left her in her crib until she passed out from crying. Whenever Drex went out to work, bringing home new girls, he brought Sarah out with him. Girls and women were more likely to trust a man carrying a baby, and police were less likely to look at him twice.

Not to mention, girls would approach him to get a look at Sarah. He would let them hold her, play with her, anything they wanted while he convinced them to come home with him.

For years, he kept this up until, one night, the police showed up, raided his house. They locked him up and took all his girls – Kathryn included. When it was discovered Sarah was her baby, and when the judge found out how she had spent the first four years of her life, he was quick to remove her from her mother's care. Sarah's father, who had been fighting for custody for years was finally able to take her home.

Soon after, Kathryn and Drex were released from prison, having served their time. They went right back to the streets, taking in as many girls as they could get. Kathryn remained loyal to Drex all this time. She didn't know anyone else and he treated her well enough. He had, after all, allowed her to keep her baby.

Now though, Kathryn wasn't any use to him. He was spending more money on her than he was getting back, which meant that if she couldn't find a way to make quick, easy money, she would be on her own. Her mother would never take her back. They had been the ones to throw her out in the first place.

Bill, the john who got her pregnant, had moved Sarah to Summer Cove, likely unaware that Kathryn had been working there for years already. Sarah was close, and she was just about the right age for Kathryn to take under her wing. Hell, compared to Kathryn, she was a few years behind already.

Kathryn had seen her daughter around. She knew Sarah as soon as she saw her. Sarah would make a lot of men happy. Kathryn just needed to bring her in.

She had tried once and failed. Sarah had put up more of a fight than she anticipated. Before Kathryn could deliver her to Drex for breaking in, Sarah managed a lucky escape.

But Kathryn was desperate. It was her ass on the line, and if she didn't do something soon, she would find herself in a lot of trouble.

As the sun started to rise, Kathryn realized this would be another night without any earnings. She sighed loudly, grabbed her purse and headed home. Drex was waiting for her, a frustrated look on his face. He held out his hand but Kathryn shook her head.

"No bites."

"Why should I let you back, then?" he asked. He gestured to the house. "All these girls are working hard to cover your ass. Do you really think that's fair?"

"I can get you a girl," Kathryn insisted. "You remember Sarah…"

"That little bitch is a lot more trouble than she's worth," Drex shook his head. "Should have gotten rid of her when I had a chance."

"But you didn't," Kathryn reminded him. "You kept her around, you kept her alive. Maybe that can work in your favour now."

"And how do you expect we do that?" Drex asked her. "She had no blindfold, she probably saw us. We try anything again…"

"Drex, I've seen her walking home from school. She's got a limp. She'll be easier to collect. All you got to do is get her home."

"She's too much trouble," Drex growled. "She's got family, friends. They'll know she's missing. They'll look for her. It's too much of a risk. Stick to the runaways. The ones with no one."

"You've collected girls with families before," Kathryn reminded her. "Angel. Jackie…"

"I'm the expert. You're just proving yourself," Drex said. "You're lucky I let you stick around, whore, but if you keep talking nonsense, I'll throw you out, you know I will."

"You know once she's broken in, it won't matter what her family and friends say," Kathryn said. "Angel had a good home, a good life. She turned her back on all of it for you."

"So you're giving me more work?"

"Please, Drex," Kathryn said and put on her sweet face, the one she always used to get reluctant johns to finally decide to follow through. The one she could use from time to time to get Drex to see her side. "I'll do that thing you like."

"You'll do it anyway," Drex said. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside roughly.


	3. The Trick

Sarah had physical therapy after school, which meant she couldn't join the others for training. She said goodbye to them in the hallway and mentioned she would catch up with them after. Just because she couldn't partake in the physical act of training didn't mean she couldn't keep up with the new strategies and ideas.

Hesitantly, she lowered her hoverboard to the ground and watched as it came to life, floating in the air just a few feet above the ground. It had been a while since she had been able to ride, considering her injury to her leg made it difficult to steer, but she had been practicing little by little for the past week, and thought maybe she could make it at least a couple of blocks before she had to stop. She hopped on and slowly began to ride off.

The physical therapist's office was across town. Sarah had plenty of time to make it, even on foot, but she hoped that if she was a little early, they would take her in and let her leave a little quicker. She could get back to her friends sooner.

So she moved as quickly as her leg would allow, first on her board, and then, when it hurt too much, on foot. However, just as the practice came in sight, Sarah heard someone cry out from a nearby alley. Seconds later, a man rushed out with a purse tightly under his arm.

"Not on my watch," Sarah shook her head and gripped her Power Star tight. She knew she wasn't to use it for anything that wasn't Ranger related – in other words, for personal use – but she did assume it would be okay to draw on it's powers to help her catch a crook. She would need the stability in her leg and the Power Star would also ensure that she would have enough strength to overpower the man and get the purse back to it's owner.

As the man raced past her, barely noticing she was in his way, Sarah tackled him to the ground. They both hit the sidewalk hard and Sarah rushed to grab the purse. However, the crook wouldn't let go and instead he started to throw punches with his free hand. Sarah could block or dodge them all and then throw her own, hitting the man in the shoulder just hard enough for him to lose his grip on the purse. When he did, Sarah snatched it and then got to her feet. The crook rose with her, ready to continue fighting when he saw the woman whose purse he had taken come out from the alley. He was now outnumbered and started to back off. Sarah could see he had given up the fight and turned to the woman.

"I think this is yours," she said and held out the purse. She looked up at the woman with a smile and then a frown when she felt she recognized the face. "Hey, I remember you!"

Suddenly, she felt a kick her in the back of the knee, which caused her to lose her balance and fall to the ground. While trying to stop herself from landing on her face, she put her hands out to stop her fall. Her left hand, which held her Power Star, opened and when she hit the ground, it fell out of her hand.

The man behind her kicked her again, this time in the back and Sarah fell flat on the ground. She wasn't about to give up there though and rolled over before she could be kicked again. Face up, she could see the next attacking coming and blocked it with her own feet while her hand reached out for her Power Star. She knew she wasn't supposed to morph in front of anyone so her identity could remain a secret, but she couldn't help but think this was the exception. She had to ensure she would get away. She had already missed out on enough time as the pink Ranger. She couldn't let her teammates down.

The Power Star, sensing she was in trouble, consumed her with power. Sarah morphed into the pink Ranger right before the woman and the crook.

"Back off," she shouted as the crook looked to her with surprise. Clearly he hadn't seen this coming, though Sarah knew as much. She hoped the shock that he was messing with the pink Ranger would be enough to scare him off.

"You wouldn't hurt me," the crook said and Sarah knew he had a point. She had intended on using her strength to scare him off and gain the advantage. She thought for sure that once he saw he was fighting the pink Ranger, he would back off. She dealt with monsters! He couldn't believe for a second that he could overpower her.

But what he said rang true. She wouldn't hurt him. She would deflect his blows, use some blocks. Maybe thrown him down once or twice, but if he really pushed, she couldn't justify using her powers to hurt him. That wasn't what they were meant for. They were meant to take out power monsters.

Her friends and family would forgive her, but she couldn't forgive herself. She had to find another way out of this mess. Fortunately, strength wasn't her only asset. She had to hope, just like last time, she would work her way out of trouble.

The crook ran towards her. She was sure he remembered that her leg was weak so she thought maybe if she showed him that even injured, she wouldn't break a sweat in this fight, maybe he would give up. It was just a purse, after all, and the woman already had it back.

That was when Sarah remembered the face of the woman. She had gotten so caught up in her fight with the crook, she forgot she knew the woman from before. This was the woman who had been part of the team that kidnapped her. The woman who ended up escaping prison because a jury bought into the sob story her defense lawyer had crafted.

"You set me up!" Sarah called out as she deflected a punch from the crook. She threw him to the ground as she turned to face the woman. "Why me?"

The woman didn't answer, giving her only an annoyed look as she reached into her purse. She pulled out some pepper spray and shot Sarah in the face. The pink Ranger saw the spray hit her visor and rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? This thing protects me from blasts. You think it'll let pepper spray do anything?"

The woman, realizing she had nothing in her purse that would help her fight, opted to using her own fists. It wasn't her first fight. She had to wrestle herself away from men who were much too rough with her, or men who wanted more than what they had paid for. In her line of work, it wasn't too uncommon to find a man who would try to take advantage of her. Hell, from time to time she had to fight off Drex when he was too rough, in a bad mood or when she felt like her punishment didn't fit the trouble she had caused him.

Sarah now had two people after her and she still couldn't justify to herself the use of her power stars or her weapons. It shouldn't have been necessary. She needed to try something else first.

With two sets of fists coming after her, it was harder for Sarah to dodge and deflect them all. The woman managed to grab her by the arms while the man punched her in the back of the head. Her helmet absorbed most of the impact, but it still hit Sarah hard. She groaned, threw the woman down and then decided her best bet would just be to run.

So she powered down. Seeing a teenage girl running from a man and a woman would alarm people more than seeing the pink Ranger run. Or so, Sarah hoped it would be enough to draw their attention. Maybe the more witnesses they had, the more inclined her attackers would be to run.

"Sarah Baker!" the woman suddenly called out and Sarah skidded to a stop. It had been so long since she had heard that name, a part of her had forgotten all about it. No one called her Sarah Baker. While it wasn't her name now, that wasn't always the case.

She officially met her father at four years old. She had just been a little girl, with no real idea of what was going on. All she knew was that her mother, though she was very pretty, often wasn't kind, and the man who she once believed was her father was even worse. She remembered never quite feeling safe when she was home. She remembered hearing her mother screaming at her father and watching as he hit her, spit on her, or dragged her kicking and screaming into his bedroom.

He did the same with the other women Sarah lived with. All of them would eventually make their way into his bedroom. Some put up more of a fight than others.

To Sarah, back then, that had been her life. She thought nothing of it because she saw it happen every day. It wasn't until she met her real father that she started to feel safe and she pushed those memories behind her. He always promised her he would look after her. He promised her she was safe. She believed him, because he showered her with love and attention. She felt her past was behind her.

Years later, it was all a blurry memory. She would go weeks, months even, without having a single thought about her life before her father. There were times she forgot she hadn't always been with him. There were days where, she could swear, he had been a part of her life forever.

Only her father knew her first full name. No one else. He had changed it as soon as he could and never once used it on any forms or documents where it wasn't necessary.

So if this woman knew it… Sarah shook her head. It couldn't be true.

She turned around. By now, she was stopped in the middle of the street, her mind flooded with questions on how this woman could have possibly known her former name. She wasn't thinking about the purse, about what the woman had done to her in the past, or about the fact that it was best she could run.

The man was the first to catch up to her. He grabbed her, then shoved her to the ground hard and started to kick. Sarah tried to fight back, but when she looked up, she saw the woman watching from a distance. Her face had aged, and though the past was still mostly blurry in Sarah's mind, she recognized the woman again. She barely had the time to utter out the word mom before a strong blow to the head knocked her out.

-Ninja-Steel-

At home, Jenny was cleaning the house, trying to keep herself busy so her mind wouldn't wander. She was still concerned about Kathryn's escape, and how to best handle the situation in order to keep Sarah safe.

Not to mention, she was going out of her mind with worry since Sarah wasn't home. Jenny knew she would be at school all day, and there had been no phone calls to let her know that Sarah had skipped a class. Sarah had to be safe, but there was the physiotherapy appointment across town. Her friends would be training, Sarah would have to make it across the city on her own. Jenny had offered to pick her up from school and drive her, but Sarah refused, too independent for her own good. Jenny didn't want to insist too much and alarm Sarah that there was anything to be worried about until she figured out for herself what to do.

Finally, her cell phone rang. Shane was out picking up groceries, but had just left the house. There was no way the call would be from him already. Jenny assumed it was her older brother, Porter, who had called her a few times since Bill disappeared to see how she was doing. Unlike Shane, Porter was also a parent. He had been able to give Jenny some advice about being a mother, and he was only too willing to help his sister.

She didn't recognize the number but Porter often worked late. Jenny would often call him a workaholic teasingly, knowing he really loved his job and wasn't shy about getting some overtime when it was needed, either for his family or the company he worked for. Jenny often wondered what the appeal was of spending all day in a cubicle, but Porter was happy. When she saw the unknown number, she figured he was calling during his coffee break and that his cell phone's battery was dead.

"Hello," a soft, feminine voice said on the other end. "Is this Sarah Thompson?"

"This is her step-mother," Jenny answered. "Is everything okay?"

"We're just checking in to see when Sarah expects to arrive for her 4 o'clock appointment with Mrs. Bells," the woman said. "She's running a bit behind and we'd like to know if it would be easier to reschedule."

"Mrs. Bells is running behind?" Jenny asked, though she knew that wouldn't make sense. The receptionist wouldn't call her if Sarah was at the office waiting.

"No, Sarah is running behind. Is she on her way?"

Jenny checked her watch. School would have ended over an hour ago now. Sarah should have been at the physiotherapist office. Hell, it was 4:15. She should have been with the physiotherapist.

"You mean she didn't show up?"

"No," the receptionist said.

"She was supposed to leave right after school," Jenny said. "She should be there right now."

"I'm afraid she's not. Is there another number I could try calling?"

"No… I… I'll see where she is."

"Would you like to reschedule?" the receptionist asked and Jenny cursed her optimism. She probably believed Sarah was stuck in traffic, or had forgotten about the appointment entirely. They were the most common excuses, and there was no reason to believe there was anything seriously wrong.

But Jenny felt it in her gut. Sarah was independent, but she was trustworthy. She wouldn't miss her appointment. She would have, at the very least, cancelled it and let Jenny know.

Jenny didn't reschedule, she simply hung up. Then she immediately dialled Sarah's phone number.

"No, no, no," she shook her head when the call went straight to voicemail. "Sarah? Call me back as soon as you can."

She hung and tried again, hoping for better luck. Maybe Sarah was in a tunnel with no reception? No, that didn't make sense. There were no tunnels on the way to the physiotherapists.

"Dammit!" she shouted and smashed her phone down on the counter.


	4. Jenny's Pleas

Sarah woke with a pounding headache on an old, thin, dusty mattress. There were no sheets, no pillows, no blankets, just the mattress between her and the cold floor.

She brought her hands up to her head to massage the ache, but found they were tied together with cable ties. The plastic was tight around her wrists and dug into her skin. It hurt to move, and it hurt more to try and pull them apart. She knew how strong they could be from her own experiments at home. She would need to find something to cut through them if she wanted to break out.

She looked around both to try and get her bearings and to set herself free. It was then that she saw him sitting in the corner.

"Remember me, sunshine?" he asked with a sick smirk on his face. He rose to his feet and picked up the bat that was next to his chair.

"My friends will come," Sarah told him and hoped he remembered she had morphed. She hoped he knew that by "friends" she meant the Power Rangers.

"Come where?" he asked. "Do you have any idea where you are?"

"They'll find me."

"They won't know where to look," Drex told her with a smirk. "You don't think I've played this game before? Don't you remember your aunt Angel."

"You were never family," Sarah shook her head. Drex laughed.

"You had to know you would find your way back here eventually," he said. "Did you really think there was something better for you out there? Did you really think you could keep this hidden?"

Sarah growled as she looked at him. He clenched the bat a little tighter.

"I tossed out all your stuff in Summer Cove," he told her. "Your watch, that round white thing on your wrist, that pink ninja star, your backpack and everything in it, your clothes."

Sarah gasped. She had been so focused on breaking the cable ties, she didn't even notice Drex had her down to her underwear. She looked down and saw he wasn't lying. Everything was gone. There was nothing on the mattress with her, nothing on the ground.

"All in Summer Cove," he said with a smirk. "Out here, nobody knows you. Out here, you're just a whore's daughter, soon to be a whore yourself."

Sarah shook her head, "No."

As soon as the word escaped her lips, she was smacked on the cheek and then grabbed by the hair.

"You never say no to me!" he shouted as he pulled her in closer. His warm breath touched her skin, sending shivers down her spine. "You're my girl now. I tell you what to do and you do it!"

She remembered his strikes. She remembered being a toddler and crying out, only to receive smacks on the butt. He would hurt her, she would cry out louder, he would hurt her again. Eventually, she learned that crying only caused her more pain. She learned to shut up around Drex, especially when he was in a bad mood.

She was stronger now, though. She wasn't a child. She tried to push him off her. She managed to knock him back, but not very far.

He swung the bat. She was stronger now, but so was he.

"You'll learn your place, you bitch," he shouted as he swung the bat into her ribs. Sarah folded over, flooded once again by memories of him beating her mother and the other woman – of him beating her.

It was easier, safer even, to let him have his way.

"I'm sorry," she called out and he only hit her once more.

-Ninja-Steel-

Jenny never enjoyed being at school after hours. This wasn't helping.

She had contacted the Rangers for help, knowing they were her best bet. The police might ask too many questions. They may take their time, first considering Sarah to be a runaway. Jenny didn't want to take the risk, not when she was certain what had happened.

Hayley, who she had spoken to on the phone, told her how to get to their base. She needed to help to their shop class and then make her way into the paint room. It would be obvious, because there would be a big sign that stated it was under repairs. Jenny was quick to find it and knocked. Hayley was also the one to let her in.

"Mrs. Thompson…"

"I know who has her," Jenny said. "You have to believe me."

"How are you sure?" Levi asked. He didn't want to question Jenny, but he wanted to be sure this was a good lead and not just a frantic mother trying to put the pieces together herself with whatever made sense in her head. He cared for Sarah as much as the others, maybe even more. He didn't want to be led down a dead end while she was still in trouble.

Jenny sighed loudly, "Kathryn is Sarah's mother."

"Who?" Brody asked.

"Kathryn, the woman who took her."

"Right now?" Calvin asked. Jenny nodded her head.

"Yes. And the woman who took her before. She's Sarah's mother."

"Why would she take her?"

"I…" Jenny took in a deep breath and then let it out. She knew she had to do it, "Bill, Sarah's dad, paid for Kathryn to sleep with him."

"Why would he pay her?" Brody asked and then noticed the way his friends, even Mick, were looking at him. "Wait, as in, like… she was selling herself? Like a slave?"

"It's a prostitute on Earth," Calvin explained to Brody, "But yeah, similar idea."

"So Sarah's mom is a hooker?" Preston asked.

"You can't let that change anything," Jenny pleaded. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Sarah, but she was sure that if anything changed, Sarah would never forgive her for telling. Hell, Jenny wasn't sure Sarah would ever forgive her for keeping this secret.

"It's just a shock," Mick stated, looking to Jenny with an assuring smile. "She's still our friend."

"Right," Jenny nodded. "Bill only got custody of Sarah when she was four years old. He fought from the moment he found out about her but… Kathryn's tricky. Sarah lived with her and her pimp until then. When her mother was finally arrested, and the judge knew what she did and how Sarah was living, Bill got to look after her. Kathryn lost all her rights. There was supposed to be no contact."

"So what does this have to do with Sarah missing an appointment?" Hayley asked. "And how are you so sure her mother has her?"

"When Bill disappeared, my lawyer assured me that I had full parental rights over Sarah. Bill made sure I adopted Sarah shortly after we were married and that if anything were to happen to him, she stays with me. He knew if he didn't cover his ass, Sarah could be hurt. But Kathryn must have found out, because the lawyer also said she was asking questions. She was the one who kidnapped Sarah a few weeks ago. You can only imagine why?"

"Why?" Brody asked, innocent. Levi looked to him.

"People don't necessarily like older prostitutes."

"Oh."

"You guys swear she left school," Jenny said and the Rangers nodded their heads.

"She had an appointment," Preston said.

"The physiotherapist's office called me. She never made it. Her phone's turned off or something and I can't reach her. Kathryn's free, so is her pimp and… I really think they're stupid enough to try again."

"So you know where she is?" Calvin asked. "Where they work from? Where they might take her?"

"I… I don't know," Jenny shook her head. "I got Kathryn's information from the lawyer once and used it to reach out to her. I tried to tell her to back off but clearly she didn't listen."

"So where did you meet?"

"The old neighbourhood," Jenny said. "Kathryn picked it, said it wasn't far from where she worked. She probably thought she could meet with me, then pick up a john."

"If it's not far from where she worked, maybe it's not far from where she lives," Levi pointed out. "What if I drive by there tonight, see what's going on?"

"Tonight?" Jenny asked and then shook her head. "We can't wait until tonight! I don't know what happens to prostitutes during the day but Bill said not a hook up went by where Kathryn didn't have some new bruise somewhere.

"Is there anywhere else we can start looking?" Calvin asked. "An old address? A day job?"

Jenny shook her head. She knew very little about Kathryn. Bill wanted it that way. He was checked for STDs before they slept together so she would know he was clean. He was honest that he had slept with a prostitute in his past, and that prostitute was Sarah's mother. He told her how he only received full custody of Sarah when she was four and that having a daughter changed his life, but that was it.

"You can't just wait, though," she begged.

"It didn't work last time," RedBot said, "But we can try out her communicator and see if there's a signal for us to follow. But if they dumped her phone, they may have dumped everything else."

Jenny's stomach knotted, but she asked RedBot to track Sarah down.


	5. Tracking Sarah Down

When Sarah woke again, she ached and she was tired. She didn't lift her head from the mattress. She barely moved as she opened her eyes. Across from her was her mother.

"Here are the rules," Kathryn stated, getting straight to the point. Sarah's memories were blurry, but she couldn't recall her mother ever showing her much affection. "I work for Drex, you work for me. You do a good job, he keeps us both safe."

Sarah turned her head away from her mother. She tried once again to pull her wrists apart, but the cable tie was strong.

"You listening?" her mother asked. Sarah didn't answer. "You ungrateful little bitch!"

"What do I have to be grateful for?" Sarah shouted and she was smacked in the face.

"What didn't you understand?" Kathryn growled. "I work for Drex, you work for me. If you don't listen, there's a world of hurt coming your way."

Sarah kept her mouth shut. Her mother returned to her seat.

"What's happening right now is we're breaking you in," she explained. "The process can be short, or it can be long, depending on what you choose. While you're being broken in, you're going to learn how Drex wants you to behave. He's got plenty of girls to manage and can't afford to have one acting out. Lucky for you, I'll be overseeing your training. I won't be nearly as tough as Drex. But if you give me trouble, Drex will only be too happy to remind you who is in charge, you got it?"

Sarah still didn't answer. Her mother continued.

"Once you know your place, I'll take you out one night. You do what the men pay for, nothing more, nothing less. They give you a hard time, tell Drex when you get home, he'll take care of you. When you get home, you give your money to Drex. Give him all of it. He'll take care of you with it. You do a good job, work your way up, he'll start to let you keep some of it."

"And if I don't want to do this?" Sarah asked.

"You don't want to do this and we're both out on the streets," Kathryn said. "You think your friends are going to want you back after they find out what you've done? You think that step-mother of your is going to want to look after a bitch like you?"

"The name calling is how you make me feel worthless," Sarah said with a bit of a smirk. "Dad used to say that. He used to tell me that when people call you name, they're trying to bring you down so they feel bigger. If you don't listen to them, their words have no power."

"You know what does have power?" Kathryn asked and Sarah felt something jab her in the side right before pain coursed through her, making her body convulse.

"Drex doesn't like girls who mouth off. Drex likes girls who do what he says. If you're going to be Drex's girl, and you don't have a say in the matter, you need to learn your place.

The shock stopped, but Sarah continued to tremble, though her body felt numb. Her heart was racing, pounding so hard, she thought it would burst from her chest.

"Drex is the reason you're alive," Kathryn told Sarah. "He let you live. He took care of you for four years. You owe him your life. The least you can do is be a good girl."

Sarah wasn't sure how much it would show, but she shook her head.

Kathryn tazed her again, letting out a cry as she did. When she stopped, she looked at Sarah.

"You don't get it," she whispered. "Drex will throw me out. He's kept me safe all these years. I know he's not always a nice man. I know he can be a little rough around the edges, but if you just do what he asks, it'll all be fine. You and I will both be okay. You owe me this, Sarah."

Sarah couldn't take another shock. Her vision was blurred, her heart was still racing, her body was numb, so she just lay there. Her mother took that as her approval and pulled her up to her feet. Sarah could barely stand, so her mother let her lean on her.

"You remember Angel, right?" she said. "She'll teach you how to make a man happy. After that, we'll let you eat."

-Ninja-Steel-

"Her signal's coming from here," Preston called out as he followed the coordinates RedBot had given him for Sarah's communicator. He exactly sure what he and the others would find. They had been trying Sarah's cell phone and her communicator their whole way over with no luck. Preston led the team and Jenny down an alleyway and looked around, "It's somewhere here."

Calvin's first thought was the dumpster by the wall. He opened the top and jumped in, much to the disgust of his teammates. He had to dig around the trash a little bit, but then he found something he recognized. He pulled it out and draped it over the side of the bin.

"Wasn't she wearing this today?"

Jenny's hand covered her mouth as she gasped. Calvin picked out Sarah's shorts as well, but that was it for clothes.

"Okay, not good, but not bad," he reasoned with himself before something else caught his eye. It was Sarah's watch. He picked it up and then pressed on the screen. Her hoverboard came to life, and Calvin leaned over the back of the dumpster to see it had been left there.

"I'll call her cell," Hayley told her boyfriend. "Maybe it's not in here."

"Let's hope," Calvin agreed, for more reasons that one. He knew jumping into a pile of garbage was necessary, but it was also disgusting. He didn't want to spend any more time in a dumpster than he really had to, never mind actually digging through it. He also hoped the cell phone wasn't under his feet because it allowed for the possibility that Sarah still had it with her, and was waiting for a safe time to reach out to them.

However, despite Calvin's best wishes, Hayley's call was sent right to voicemail.

"A man's got to do what he's got to do," he said and held his breath as he started to dig through all the garbage, tossing out what would get in his way. When he found her cell phone, he called out, sounding more excited than he felt.

"So they dumped everything here?" Brody asked. He, Levi and Preston had searched the rest of the alley, coming back to the dumpster with Sarah's back and communicator attached. "There's no way to track her down."

"There's got to be," Jenny said.

"I can try the streets tonight," Levi offered. "Maybe ask around, see if anyone knows a Kathryn."

"And if you get caught?" Hayley asked. Levi shrugged.

"A few rumours in the tabloids won't mean anything if it gets Sarah home quickly," Levi said and then he pointed to the sky, "It's getting dark. Working girls will start to come out soon hoping to make a buck or two. Someone must know Kathryn and who she works for. We find that out, we find Sarah."

"What if you get arrested?" Preston asked. "We can't be missing one Ranger and have the other locked up in jail?"

"A few question won't get me arrested," Levi said. "Hopefully, they know who I am. Hopefully, they assume I'm carrying money. If the police do show up, and if I'm caught, they can't exactly arrest me for intent when I couldn't even afford to buy a stick of gum. I'm willing to take the risk."

"I'll show you where Kathryn wanted to meet me," Jenny said. "It's just a few blocks away."

"We'll keep watch, just in case things go south," Brody said as he, Preston and Levi followed Jenny. Hayley waited for Calvin to jump out of the dumpster and then still couldn't compel her feet to move. Calvin turned back when he saw she wasn't following and frowned.

"Everything okay?" he asked, and then laughed at his choice of words. They were all worried for Sarah and until she was found safe, nothing was okay. "You know what I mean."

"My dad warned me about this stuff," Hayley whispered to Calvin. "How some guys might seem like they're offering you the world but instead take you down this crazy, deadly path."

"Sarah wasn't lured," Calvin promised her, but he knew it offered little consolation. If she wasn't lured, she was taken, and he wasn't sure which was worse. "Look, Hayl, she's a little firecracker. She takes out monsters and you and her both looked Glavanax in the eyes and taunted him. I was shaking in my boots, do you remember?"

"I was scared too," Hayley nodded as she recalled their first encounter with Galvanax. He had tried to appear tough but together, she and Sarah taunted him, let him know they saw through his game. It was a bluff. They wanted to see how he would respond so they could get to know him quickly.

"Yeah, but you did it. You didn't show fear," Calvin reminded her. "Sarah doesn't let people push her around. She's got her own mind and she's strong enough to stand up for herself. She'll be fine until we can get to her, and we'll get there soon."

"We only have a name to go by," Hayley said. "Kathryn may not even use that on the streets."

"It's the name she gave Sarah's dad," Calvin reminded her. "She wouldn't have given him her real name if she had something else. Someone's got to know what's up. We just have to work them. Until then, Sarah will be fine."


	6. A Helpful Lead

If someone told, Levi knew this would be a rumour he wouldn't be able to brush off. A celebrity who picked a woman off the street would be major news, especially if his special request was part of it.

"Kathryn, huh?" a woman asked him and Levi took a step back. "Haven't had anyone ask about her in a while. She gets a few regulars, but that's it."

"Do you know where she is?" Levi asked.

"You sure she's the one you want?" the woman asked. "You know, she's old enough to be your mother. Levi Weston can't possibly be into that, can he?"

"I have young woman throwing themselves on me everywhere I go," Levi said, and he hated how it made him sound. He did have women who flirted with him all the time, but he would never treat them with anything less than respect. He had been taught better than that. "But I want someone who knows what they're doing. Whose been around the block a few times."

"Honey, you want a few times, you're looking at it," the woman said. "I promise you, anything you can imagine, I can do."

"A friend recommended Kathryn, and I have more than enough to afford her," Levi said. "Do you know where she is?"

"Well, more than enough for Kathryn is just enough for Jackie," the woman said and held her hand out, "Information isn't cheap. If Drex knows I wasted time chatting with you, he won't be too happy."

"Never mind, then," Levi shook his head and walked away. He would have been more than happy to give up a few bucks to get information for Sarah, but he had opted not to take any money with him, just in case someone got suspicious or the police came poking around. He turned the corner, meeting with his friends there.

"No one's biting," he said. "They're all too busy trying to make a living to give me any straight answers. But the girls here do know Kathryn."

"But there's nothing else?"

Levi shook his head, "I'm sorry. I couldn't get much off any of them."

Jenny let out a growl and clenched her fists, "I should have picked her up. I should have taken her there myself."

"Mrs. Thompson, this isn't on you," Brody shook his head. "You couldn't have known this would happen."

"I did," Jenny said. "I knew who Kathryn was. I know she was showing interest. If I had told Sarah…"

"We can't think about what we should have done," Brody insisted. "Look, Mrs. Thompson, I get you're frustrated but Sarah…"

"I know Sarah," Jenny yelled and pointed to herself. "You… you all just met her! I may just be her step-mother but I know her best!"

"So you know she's one of the toughest girl you'll ever know," Levi said. "You know she's fighting just as hard to get home as we are trying to find her. She'll be okay."

"Yeah, Mrs. Thompson," Preston nodded his head. "I mean, we haven't known Sarah for a long time, but we do fight and train with her. We know what she's made of. You know, the day she and I met, she was completely fearless."

"We just have to keep looking," Brody insisted. It was then a young woman approached them, looking very nervous.

"Sarah?" she asked. The Rangers and Jenny looked to each other, and then to the girl.

"What about her?"

"Pretend you're asking after me," the young woman said and looked to Levi. She saw him speaking with Jackie and couldn't help but overhear their conversation, as well as what he and his friends had been talking about. "I hear you mention Sarah."

"Do you know something?" Jenny asked, but the young woman wouldn't break eye contact with Levi.

"Kathryn and Drex were out today," she whispered. "They were getting a girl. When Angel came to pick us up, she mentioned a Sarah."

"That's my daughter!" Jenny cried out and the girl shushed her with a whisper.

"You have to keep your voice down. If Angel hears me talking to you, not trying to make money, she'll tell Drex."

"You know where Sarah is?" Levi whispered. The girl nodded her head.

"Like I said, Drex and Kathryn went out to get a girl. But she's no here. She's being broken in," the girl said. "You want to take her home?"

"Please," Levi answered, as though the girl could honour his request herself. She smiled.

"That's nice. She's lucky," she said. "My parents didn't care when I left home."

"Where is she?"

The girl glanced over her shoulder, then looked to Levi.

"Drex has a property in Angel Grove. When he thinks the cops are onto him, or when he needs to keep a girl hidden for a while, he'll hide out there."

"Do you have the address?"

"I don't," the girl shook her head. "All I remember is waking up one day in a basement. I wasn't allowed to leave until I promised to do whatever Drex wanted. As long as Sarah gives up easily, she'll be fine, and she'll be back in Summer Cove in no time."

"And if she doesn't?" Brody asked. The girl didn't answer.

"If you want to find her fast though, I remember there were signs and stuff for an old fro-yo bar. Ernie's, I think it was called. Apparently Drex bought it from the owner when he retired."

"And the owner had no idea?"

"Drex is vile," the woman said, "But when he's trying, he can be smooth, charming even. It's how I fell for him."

"Thank you," Jenny whispered. The woman shook her head.

"I just need a few bucks," she said. "Drex hates when we waste our time. Costs him money."

"I…" Jenny didn't know how she felt with giving a prostitute money. She knew she wouldn't be doing anything wrong, but still, it felt criminal. Not to mention, she had an idea of what that money would be used for and it wasn't good. She didn't want to endorse it at all.

"Please," the woman begged and Jenny gave up. She picked out what was inside her wallet and handed it over.

"This will be enough," the girl said, taking only half. "It's what this time was worth. Anymore and Angel will be suspicious."

"Thank you," Jenny whispered. The girl nodded her head and started to walk off.

"I hope you find her," she said. Jenny and the Rangers watched her heard back to the curb and approach a car as a man rolled the window down. She felt sick to her stomach knowing what was about to happen, but right now, she needed to focus on Sarah. She couldn't save them all.

-Ninja-Steel-

The room was spinning and Sarah felt sick, however, she also felt better. The pain was gone and she found she wasn't too concerned with where she was, how she had gotten there, or with what would happen to her.

"Good, right?" her mother asked and Sarah nodded her head. "That's where your money goes. Drex makes sure he gets the good stuff. Numbs you to everything. It keeps you going, especially after the rough nights."

Sarah closed her eyes so the room spinning wouldn't make her sick. She let herself lay on her mattress. Part of her was hoping her mother would let her have a second dose, as she could feel the first was wearing off. The other part of her knew what her mother was doing. If she got addicted, she would be dependant on Drex for a fix.

"The first few weeks aren't fun," Kathryn admitted. "You're learning your place. You're bound to make mistakes. Drex won't hold back with you and neither will I. But eventually, all this will become second nature, and you'll understand that Drex really does care. He does his best for all his girls."

A part of Sarah knew this wasn't true. These were all lies that Drex had told, or that Kathryn was telling herself to justify her way of life. But the part of Sarah that could remember the truth was getting smaller and smaller. Her mind wasn't as sharp.

"When I found out I was pregnant with you, I wanted an abortion," Kathryn admitted. "Drex was ready to go along with it, but for some reason, your father, your biological father, wanted me to have you. He paid premium prices so I'd keep you alive. Drex decided it was worth his time and he let me take some time off. As long as your father paid up every week, I could focus on being pregnant. When you were born, Drex took you in like you were his own. He took care of you every night when I worked. Sometimes, he'd take you out during the day. When you were young, he'd walk around the park. As you got older, he'd take you out to McDonald's or something. He'd let you play in their play structure. He was devastated when you were taken away. I think he grew to love you."

"He hit me," Sarah said. Kathryn shook her head.

"It was discipline. He knew what he was doing. It didn't take long before you stopped crying over nothing."

Her numbness was starting to fade. Sarah could feel the pain coming back. She felt herself thinking she needed a second dose, then shook her head. She couldn't think like that.

"You owe him your life," Kathryn said as the door opened and Sarah heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Drex walked up to the mattress and turned to Kathryn.

"I want some time alone," he said. Sarah's eyes widened. Even in her state, she knew she didn't want to be left alone with Drex – not for a minute. Kathryn obeyed and got up from her chair. Sarah shook her head and tried to sit up.

"No, no," she said. "Don't leave me here."

"A little advice," Kathryn said before she climbed the stairs, "It's easier not to fight back."

"Though it is a lot more fun when you do," Drex said with a smirk and looked to her with hungry eyes. Sarah tried again to pull apart the cable tie, but it wasn't giving.


	7. Sarah's Story

Sarah's hands were bound, but they weren't useless. And her legs were still free. As Drex started to climb on top of her, she kicked her feet. She hit him once in the stomach before he grabbed her legs and held them down. Sarah sat up and swung at him with her hands, holding them together as she hit him across the chest.

"You little bitch!" Drex shouted. He let go of her legs to grab her arms. He pushed her back down into the mattress. Sarah still couldn't see straight and she couldn't think clearly. Her reflexes weren't sharp, but she wanted to survive. She kicked at Drex again as he held her down and this time, she hit somewhere a little more sensitive. Drex cried out in paid and fell to the side, holding himself between the legs.

Sarah forced herself to sit up, and then pushed her body to stand. She swayed a little and feared she might fall, but she kept her balance. Her hands were bound but she didn't need them to run. She went straight for the stairs, climbing up them as quickly as she could move.

"Kathryn!" Drex shouted, though he was still immobilized.

 _Hit them where it hurts and hit them hard,_ Sarah remembered her dad telling her. _Don't hold back. Whatever you do, don't hold back._

Sarah made it up the stairs before Kathryn was at the door, but her mother grabbed her from behind before she could find the way out. Sarah needed her feet to stand and couldn't reach her fists around for a punch, but she did remember something better.

 _Your elbow, Sarah. Whenever you can, jab with the elbow._

She threw her elbow back, hitting Kathryn hard right between the ribs. Sarah heard a loud gasp and felt her mother let go. She almost fell with her mother as Kathryn stumbled, but Sarah was just about keep hold onto enough of her balance to stay on her feet.

She didn't know the way out. There was no clearly marked exit and this didn't look like a regular home. Sarah had to pause to try and keep her brain working. There had to be some clue as to where she needed to go.

"Get back here, bitch!" she heard Drex shout and then footsteps coming up the stairs. She didn't have time to think, she had to run. She would have to figure out where to go as she moved. She ran as quickly as she could, through one door, and then another until she thought she saw a window to outside. She thought she heard Drex's footsteps right behind her and couldn't find a door, but there was an old stool. She grabbed the stool, swung it at the window as hard as she could and when it cracked, she threw herself into the window. It shattered and she stumbled out, this time falling to the ground.

"I got her!" Levi shouted, falling next to Sarah and taking her in his arms. He was morphed, along with the others who charged into the old house. Drex, seeing the Power Rangers were coming, dropped to his knees and put his hands up. He had already fought off one, but there were four coming at him. He knew he couldn't win.

"You're a dick," Calvin said and pushed Drex to the floor. He and Hayley kept him on the ground while Brody and Preston searched the rest of the house. When they came out, they were dragging Kathryn with them, kicking and screaming.

"It was her idea!" Drex shouted and pointed to Kathryn. "She wanted her. She insisted. I only went along with it."

"Liar!" Kathryn shouted at him. "You were going to kick me out! You started this!"

"She's a lying whore!" Drex argued. Calvin pressed his blade against Drex's back, hoping the threat of a weapon would be enough to shut him up. Drex did whimper when he felt the blade, but he soon realized he got off easy.

Jenny, seeing the Rangers had both Drex and Jenny under control, hurried over to Kathryn and punched her, hard, in the stomach.

"I told you to stay away," she growled. "I warned you!"

"Shut up, coward," Kathryn growled. "You know if these Power Losers weren't here right now, you'd be terrified of me."

Jenny felt her blood boil. She glanced over her shoulder, only to see Sarah's beaten, weak form and suddenly her rage was fueled. The next thing she, or anyone else knew, the sound of a slap echoed down the streets.

"Did she just… slap her?" Preston asked Brody, who nodded his head.

"She did. Weird, huh?"

"It was oddly satisfying," Jenny admitted. Kathryn growled at her, but Preston and Brody pulled her away before she could be of any danger.

"We'll take her and Drex to the Silver Guardians. There's got to be something they can do to make sure they aren't a threat anymore. Gold…"

"I got her," Levi promised. He didn't need to be asked. He cradled Sarah in his arms as she finally relaxed and closed her eyes. "You're safe."

Jenny watched the Rangers take Kathryn and Drex away and then walked over to Sarah. She knelt and gently touched Sarah's face, where a dark bruise was forming. She felt sick to her stomach.

"Did she say anything?" she asked and Levi shook his head.

"She took a minute to recognize me. When she did, she passed out," he answered. "Nothing yet. Let's take her to the base until she wakes up. Keep her away from strangers."

"You think Mick will know what to do?"

"Brody trusts him," Levi nodded. "That's enough for me."

-Ninja-Steel-

Sarah opened her eyes again and this time wasn't alarmed by where she was waking up. It was a bit of a blur at first, but she could recognize a friendly voice and there was no one sitting creepily in a chair by her bed.

When her vision cleared up, she saw Mick moving around, taking to himself as he worked. Sarah knew he did this often and while sometimes it annoyed her when she was trying to focus, today it felt good.

"Mick?"

"Sarah!" he jumped when he heard her voice, dropped the Power Star he was working on and rushed to her side. When she tried to sit up, he pushed her back down, "Easy there. You're not ready to be on your feet yet."

"What happened?" Sarah asked. It was all a bit of a blur to her. She remembered meeting her mother. She remembered Drex. She remembered once again being kidnapped and being scared, but there were no details yet.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Mick said and Sarah seemed a little hopeful.

"We?"

"Oh, uh, they'll be here soon," Mick said and pointed to the empty room. "RedBot is guarding the school, promises to do so until we're sure Kathryn and Drex are behind bars for good. The other Rangers are in class, keeping up appearances, but they did really want to be here. Your mother's at the Silver Guardian HQ, giving them all the details they need."

"No one's here?"

"They want to be," Mick assured her. "And if I'm being honest, I did kind of kick them all out. I wasn't sure how… present you would be when you woke up and… well, they were already asking me a lot of questions. I figured this would be easier, on both of us, if it was just us."

"Uh, okay," Sarah answered, growing a little nervous. She loved Mick and she trusted him completely, but by the tone of his voice, things were about to get a little uncomfortable.

"Okay, so where to start," Mick said and checked his notes. He promised the Rangers that if they left, he would ask Sarah all their questions, within reason of course. "Oh, right, are you okay?"

"I've been better," Sarah answered.

"Did they hurt you? Beyond what I can see with the bruises and with my scans."

"Depends on what you can see with the scans," Sarah muttered. Mick put his notes down and looked to Sarah sadly.

"I'm sure you've figured this out, but the woman who kidnapped you was a prostitute. The man you were with, Drex, was her pimp. You have to understand, we're all worried that…"

"He didn't rape me."

"You're sure?"

Sarah nodded her head, "I guess the adrenaline kicked in when he tried. That's when I could get out. Before that, I don't think he tried."

"Is there a chance?"

"I felt sore in a lot of places," Sarah said. "Not there."

Mick nodded. He wouldn't press the issue any further. Tears were brimming Sarah's eyes. He was sure she was telling him all she knew.

"Do you know what he drugged you with? My computers don't recognize it."

Sarah shook her head, "Something intravenous. It took the pain away. Is that why I feel like dying right now?"

"Likely," Mick nodded. "It'll pass. Can I ask some more questions?"

"Sure," Sarah said. They were a welcome distraction from the way she felt.

"Do you know who Kathryn was?"

"Do you?"

"Jenny told us," Mick said. "I want to know what you know, though. I want your story."

"Mick…"

"Sarah, I served Galvanax for longer than you've been alive. I've had to develop weapons that were used in competitions to kill aliens. I promise you, whatever you tell me, you're still Sarah to me. You're the pink Ranger. Nothing changes.

"It's fuzzy," Sarah said. "Dad and I never talked about it. I think he liked to pretend it never happened."

"What never happened?"

"I had forgotten about it, mostly. A few flashbacks here and there, but they were so far apart and so blurry, it was more like a nightmare and less real. Until she knew my name."

"What name?"

"Sarah Baker," she said. "It was my mom's last name. The one she gave me when I was born, and I used it until dad took me in."

"You were four, right?"

"Living with my mother wasn't ideal. I never felt completely safe. I thought it was normal back then. I didn't know any different. Drex, back then, I thought was my father. He would hit my mother and yell at her and the other girls all the time. They would go into his room. I remembered fearing him, having to tiptoe around him. God forbid I was too loud, or crying about something. When she said my name, she brought that all back."

"Did he hurt you back then?"

"I don't think that was his thing," Sarah shook her head. "I never went into his room."

"That's a hard thing to go through."

"The police stormed in one night. I was in bed. Mom and Drex were having a party of some sort. A lot of strange men were by. I remember because the music bothered me. I couldn't sleep, I was hearing weird noises, but I was more scared of what would happen to me if I interrupted the party than of whatever I thought was in my room. That's when the police arrived. They were yelling, people were screaming, trying to run away. They searched the whole house and I remember jumping out of bed and hiding. Mom and Drex always told me how bad the police were. They said the police would take me away, lock me up in jail."

"But they found you instead."

"A female officer," Sarah nodded her head. "She was checking under the bed, looking for drugs or something. Her eyes met mine and I screamed. She promised me it was okay. She asked the other police to step back, then put her gun aside. She offered her hand to me, told me she would find me somewhere safe to sleep that night."

"This story has a happy ending," Mick smiled. "You ended up with your father after that."

"A couple of homes first until the judge let him take me," Sarah nodded. "But dad was great. He brought me home and on the first day he showed me my room. He painted the walls pink, but he let me pick out everything else I wanted. He took me to the store, and then after, we went for ice-cream. That night, I had nowhere to sleep, because my bed hadn't arrived yet. Dad showed me how to build a fort out of sheets and played along when I said that being inside was like a space ship. He let me be the captain. He let me do whatever I wanted. It was the first time I got to choose and it was exciting. Dad noticed how through most of the game, I would be asking questions about how space ships could travel into space, or about how they were built. The next day, he bought me a book about science. I got my bed the same day, so that night, before bed, he started reading it to me. All my questions were answered, but new ones came up."

"That's when you fell in love with engineering?" Mick asked her and Sarah smiled.

"I liked knowing how things worked. Eventually, I started to wonder how I could make things better," Sarah said. "Dad kept me safe. He helped me forget about mom. But when she called my name…"

"It all flooded back."

"And I wanted to fight it," Sarah insisted, looking to Mick, pleading he would believe her. "I really tried being strong, not letting him have his way, but…"

"Whoa, whoa, Sarah, no one here is saying you aren't strong," Mick told her. He took her hand and gave her a squeeze. "You've been taken twice now, and twice you managed to get out yourself.

"If the others hadn't shown up…"

"They did," Mick said. "You can't spend your time thinking about what could have happened. Your friends were there to help you when you needed it. That's not weakness. That's not anything to be ashamed of."

"I felt like a little girl again," Sarah said. "When he hit me, when he yelled, I just kept remembering when he did that to me as a little girl and how scared I was back then."

"We all have things that scare us," Mick told her and gave her a reassuring smile. "How we choose to face those fears show our true courage. What you went through as a girl is unimaginable. No one will blame you for freezing up. All that matters is you survived. You did something right."

"I'm a Power Ranger."

"You're human," Mick said. "You have powers, but you're still a human."

Sarah nodded her head and then Mick noticed she was looking a little green. He grabbed the waste basket from beside his work station and brought it over just in time for Sarah to puke. There wasn't much that came out, most of it was dry heaves, but Mick knew regardless, she wasn't feeling well.

"How did you find me?" Sarah asked, looking to Mick once she was done. He took the waste basket from her, made a face as he caught a whiff, and then shrugged.

"Detective work, I guess," he said. "Your mother, Jenny, came in here when you missed your appointment. She said she knew who had you and she had an idea of where to find you."

"She… knew?"

"She told us about your mother," Mick nodded. "Said how she was the one who kidnapped you the first time. How she believed she would try it again. We tried tracking down your data comm, but when that was a dead end, she showed us where she met up with your mother. From there, we got a little help."

"So all this time, she knew?" Sarah asked. "She knew who my mother was. She knew that wasn't just bad luck. She knew I was targeted?"

"I… I can't say that for sure," Mick shrugged his shoulders and felt like he had said something wrong. "But she did put us on the right path."

Sarah's face was green again, but Mick couldn't grab the waste basket fast enough. Fortunately, it was only dry heaves. Mick put his hand on her back.

"You need to rest," he said. "You can't work yourself up over this. Whatever Jenny did, she did to keep you safe."

"I need to talk to her," Sarah insisted and tried to get off her cot. Mick wanted to hold her down, but he also didn't want to hurt her. She had just shared her story with him, and she had just been through a terrible ordeal. She had to be feeling vulnerable right now and he didn't want to make it worse by forcing her to stay in bed. So instead he stayed near, letting her use him for support as she stood, all while trying to convince her to rest up. Mick could see his words were falling on deaf ears. Fortunately, Levi walked in at this point, as he promised he would. He had a planning time and told Mick he would be by to help.

"You're up," he smiled when he saw Sarah out of bed. Mick shook his head.

"She really shouldn't be," he said. "She's still intoxicated and her injuries are pretty bad."

"So then what are you doing out of bed?" he asked and helped Mick keep her on her feet.

"I have to talk with my step-mother."

"She's in Angel Grove," Levi said. "She wanted to be here when you woke up, but it was more important she make sure Kathryn and Drex were locked up for good."

"She knew," Sarah said. Levi shook his head. He stood in front of Sarah and held her arms gently, both to keep her up and to get her to focus on him.

"Sarah, you're sick," he told her. "I can see it, just looking at you, that you're not thinking straight. Whatever you think is going on with you right now is going to have to wait until you've rested a bit."

"She knew!" Sarah shouted. "She let me think that last one was bad luck, that it wasn't likely to happen again!"

"Sarah…"

"I would have been more careful if she told me!" Sarah screamed. "This wouldn't have happened."

"You're right, okay," Levi said. He pulled Sarah into his arms and held her close. He couldn't reason with her right now, so he knew it was best to agree. "She should have told you."

"I need to talk to her."

"I'll take you back to my hotel," Levi told her. "I'll let you rest up there, away from her, away from the others…"

"But I need to…"

"You can think of what you want to tell her there," Levi insisted. "You're in no condition to argue with her now, okay?"

"I'll fight her later," Sarah agreed. Levi nodded.

"Absolutely," he walked her back to her cot and helped her lay down. He promised to pack up a few things for her to take home. As he did, Mick walked up to him.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting her some privacy and a real bed to rest in," Levi said. "You've done all the scans, right?"

"Extensive ones," Mick nodded. "She's got bruises and cuts, nothing that won't heal. I can't identify the drug they gave her, though. Whatever it is, we don't have it on any of the planets I've visited."

"It'll work it's way out," Levi insisted.

"And while it does, it's best she remains here, under observation," Mick said.

"I'll keep an eye on her at the hotel."

"So you're just going to walk out of school with a sixteen year old intoxicated student and put her in your car?" Mick asked. "Look, I may be from another planet, but I know sixteen is still young, and as a teacher, you'd be putting yourself in a lot of trouble."

"I don't care about that. You know I'd never hurt her."

"But if she hurts herself under your care…"

"Mick…"

"Think with your head here, Levi," Mick shook his head and then walked over to his phone. He picked it up, dialled a number and then waited for the other line to pink up. "Yes, Principal Hastings? This is Mick… Mick uh… the shop teacher. You hired me a couple of month ago… Yes, hi. I have a student here, Sarah Thompson, who isn't feeling well and I've been instructed by her mother to let her leave with Hayley Foster should she need it. Great, can you tell her to come by and pick Sarah up?"

"So you're just going to let Hayley take her home instead of me?" Levi asked. "What difference does it make?"

"Hayley is Sarah's classmate. Hayley is also a girl. You are Sarah's male teacher. This looks better."

"But…"

"Levi, I get you care for Sarah. You like her a lot."

"No, I…. I don't."

"We all want what's best for her," Mick assured Levi. "And right now, she needs a friend."


	8. Feelings

Hayley parked Calvin's truck in his parents' driveway. She had promised to take Sarah home, but knew her parents would be by after work, while Calvin's parents were gone for the week visiting his older brother in college. They would have all the privacy they needed and she knew Calvin would be by later to offer his help.

"We're here," Hayley whispered to Sarah, who groaned uncomfortably at having to move again. Hayley let herself chuckle a little, "I know, but Calvin's got a big, cozy bed. It'll be like sleeping on a cloud."

"I don't want to know how you know that," Sarah whispered. Hayley hopped out of the truck then walked over to Sarah's side to help her. Sarah stumbled out of the truck and Hayley was barely able to catch her.

"Withdrawal is really beating you up, huh?" Hayley asked. "I've got to admit, it's not how I planned on spending some quality girl time."

"You think Calvin will be pissed I puked in his car?" Sarah asked with a little chuckle, which reminded Hayley to roll down the window before she left.

"He'll understand."

"He can understand and still be pissed," Sarah pointed out.

"Alright, well just promise us you won't scare us like that again and I promise not to let him get mad at you."

"I can't do that," Sarah shook her head, but regretted it when she felt nauseated. "Last time I promised not to scare someone, it happened again."

"Alright then… just don't puke in his bed," Hayley let herself and Sarah into the house and helped the pink Ranger up to Calvin's room. Sarah managed to crawl into bed herself and sighed contently when she could relax comfortably.

"His bed is like a cloud," she smiled. Hayley nodded.

"See, told you."

"I'm pretending you have no idea what I mean," Sarah said. "I'm aware of what you do, I just don't need to be thinking about it right now."

"Do you need anything?" Hayley asked. "A bite to eat? Something to drink?"

Sarah shook her head, but Hayley didn't know when she had last eaten. She excused herself from the room and went to grab a banana and some water from the kitchen. When she came back, she found Sarah in the middle of a staring contest with Calvin's stuffed orange gorilla.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a laugh.

"His eyes freak me out," Sarah whispered. "Does Calvin sleep with this thing?"

"Not when I'm around," Hayley said. She picked up the gorilla and placed it down on Calvin's desk, where she also put the banana and the water. She let Sarah know she could grab either whenever she wanted, and then sat on the bed with her.

"You wanna talk about any of it?" she asked. "Your mom sorta filled us in on what happened. Sounds like it's a lot to go through."

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. She leaned back on the headrest.

"I think I'd rather not talk about it," she said.

"Even what happened yesterday?"

"I'd like to get past it."

"It helps to talk."

"Hayley…"

"Sarah, you're my first girlfriend," Hayley interrupted. "I mean, I've had friends who were girls before but… we never really hung out. Once high school started we all kind of went our separate ways and… well, on a male dominated team, I'm glad there's one other girl."

"Me too."

"I kind of hoped we could lean on each other a bit," Hayley said. "You know, like when the guys are being dumbasses or when we just need another girl to talk to. I'd like to think right now is the latter."

"He didn't do anything," Sarah insisted. She knew what Hayley had to be thinking. Mick had asked her that same question. All her friends had to be wondering. "I didn't let him."

"It's still scary when it almost happens," Hayley said. "If it helps, I can ask Calvin to stay with one of the guys tonight."

"I trust Calvin. I trust all the guys," Sarah said. "I'm just… mad."

"At who?"

"Jenny," Sarah muttered. "At this."

"You're mad it happened."

"I'm mad I let it happen. I'm mad I'm one of those girls."

"The girl who survived?" Hayley asked. "The girl who, despite the odds, got herself out of trouble twice? Sarah, we were too late."

Sarah looked up at Hayley, "What do you mean? You were right there, right when I got out."

"Sarah, if you hadn't fought, you know what Drex would have done," Hayley told her. "By the time the guys and I got there, you know it would have happened. It didn't because you fought."

"Doesn't stop me feeling mad."

"I can't change the way you feel," Hayley admitted and as she nodded her head, Calvin's gorilla caught her eye. She walked over and picked it up and brought it back to the bed. She placed it down in front of Sarah. The pink Ranger glared at the gorilla.

"I'm mad at him too."

"So punch it," Hayley said. "I've always kind of hated this thing anyway. You can't punch what happened, and there's no way you're going to want to see Drex or Kathryn again, so punch Calvin's gorilla."

Sarah gave it a little punch, but found it felt good so she hit it again, and then again, but a little harder, and then as hard as she could. Finally, she let out a cry.

Hayley felt sorry for the gorilla. She really hoped Calvin had meant it when he said the toy meant nothing to him. Otherwise, she was sure she was going to have to replace it.

-Ninja-Steel-

When Calvin went home after school, he brought Brody and Preston with him. They hadn't gotten a chance to see Sarah since she woke up and were curious to how she was doing. Calvin offered they could all stay at his place for the night to be together, since his parents were out of town, so they stopped by their houses to pack a bag for overnight. When they got to Calvin's house, Hayley was in the kitchen, cleaning up a few dishes.

"Hey," Calvin smiled as he leaned in and kissed her. Hayley smiled back, then to her friends.

"Sarah's just upstairs napping," she said. "She's looking better."

"How is she feeling?" Preston asked.

"Better," Hayley promised, then reached to the counter behind her and showed Calvin his gorilla, "I can't say the same for Alfred, here."

"What happened to Alfred!" Calvin cried out, snatching the gorilla that seemed to be falling apart at the seams. He gave it a quick hug but when he remembered that Preston and Brody were watching, he released his hold and simply frowned at Hayley.

"Sarah needed something to punch," Hayley said. "And Alfred is a little… freaky looking."

"He's not!"

"He stares."

"He's a toy. They don't blink."

"Yeah, but he creepy stares," Hayley argued, then she picked up a rag and bucket from under the sink. She looked to Calvin apologetically, "But I don't think Alfred really the one you want to worry about."

Calvin gave her a worried, questioning look. Hayley continued to smile apologetically.

"I'll clean her up."

"Her?"

Hayley glanced very briefly to the window, where Calvin's truck could be seen. It wasn't long enough that she was staring, but enough for Calvin to get the hint. When he saw his truck he groaned, "What happened to my truck?"

"The important thing is that Sarah's okay," Hayley reminded him with a little chuckle. Calvin shook his head.

"What happened to my truck?"

"It's better if you don't know."

"What happened to my truck?" he asked again. Hayley placed the rag and bucket in his hands.

"If you're so curious, you can go check it out," she said. Calvin rushed out and Hayley shook her head as he did.

"What happened to his truck?" Brody asked and then chuckled when they could hear Calvin crying out from the driveway.

"Sarah may have gotten a little carsick on the way home," Hayley said.

"But she's okay?" Preston asked.

"She'll be fine," Hayley promised. "You boys hungry? Calvin's going to be cleaning for a while. We might as well order in a pizza."

"I'll take care of it," Brody offered, taking out his phone. As he called for pizza, Hayley went outside to check up on Calvin and his truck. Preston walked upstairs. It was his first time in Calvin's home, but he was quickly able to find Calvin's room, where Sarah was sleeping. The door was open, though barely, so he pushed it gently and peeked inside.

Sarah's face and arms were littered in bruises, each one deeper and darker than the last. Her wrists were bandaged up, cut open from where the cable ties had dug into her skin. Preston barely recognized Sarah like this. She certainly wasn't the Sarah he knew.

He first met her outside of school, while he was passing out flyers for his magic show later in the day. Most of the other students walked by him, never even bothering to look at him, never mind take a flyer. But Sarah had arrived on her hover board, stopped in front of him and let him offer her a flyer. She took it with a smile, read what Preston had written and seemed genuinely interested in magic.

She was the first person in years not to dismiss him. Even his parents were getting a little tired of his magic tricks and were asking him when he was going to start spending more time on his school work so he would have an impressive college resume. Preston knew they wanted to push him into business. They wanted him to be like them, but he couldn't imagine sitting in a cubicle for days, or talking about data and statistics and finances.

Later that same day, Victor had flown in on Sarah's hover board. He crashed into Preston and completely ruined his magic show; not that many people were paying attention. Preston followed Victor only to get back his dragon costume, but found Sarah had caught up to them as well to collect her hover board. When she did, she stood her ground against Victor and insisted that since he ruined Preston's magic show, he needed to apologize.

It wasn't the first time something had happened to his magic show. Often people booed, or no one watched, or some jock would throw or kick a ball and it would land on his table. No one ever apologized and instead just laughed. They told Preston they should thank him, because their actions earned a few laughs which was more than he would ever get on his own.

Victor didn't apologize, not that Preston expected him to, but it meant a lot to him that Sarah stood up for him. It meant even more when she insisted on helping him clean up.

That was quickly followed by the events that led them to become Rangers, and Preston learned that Sarah wasn't just kind, but she was also brave and a little crazy. She took her hover board and rode towards trouble, insisting on checking it out. When she and Preston saw Brody in trouble, she was the one who decided to help.

They became good friends after that. Sarah always cheered the loudest at Preston's magic shows, even when no one else watched. It always meant a lot to him to know he had at least one supporter.

But he never saw Sarah as vulnerable. She was never shy, never scared and always embracing new challenges. She started a new school with a bright smile. She faced danger head on. She supported her friends.

She didn't deserve this.

"It feels worse than it is," Sarah said, making Preston jump. He always felt maybe that's why they were such good friends. She was strong and brave. He was always a little nervous and cautious. Perhaps, they balanced each other out.

When Sarah saw Preston jump she let out a little chuckle. She sat up on the bed. Preston sat down on the side and looked to her.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"It wasn't supposed to make you feel worse."

"Are you okay?" Preston felt like he had been asking that question all day. When he arrived at school and saw Sarah was still unconscious, he had asked. Throughout the day, he would ask his friends how they thought she was. When Hayley was called to take Sarah home, he had asked it. When they stopped by to see Mick once school had ended, he asked again. When they got to Calvin's house, he asked and now, he had asked it again.

Sarah nodded her head and then leaned forward to hug Preston. He put his arms around her and held her close. He hoped she felt safe now, with him. He wasn't macho, or tough, or even fearless. He remembered feeling like he was going to wet himself when he was first face to face with Galvanax, while Sarah had opted to taunt the beast.

She would protect him if he ever needed it. He wanted her to know, despite his fears and doubts, he would do the same for her.

Down the hall, Levi had joined the others. After Mick's warnings earlier in the day, he decided not to leave school with the others. As close as they all were, he was a teacher in their school. He couldn't be seen hanging out with them all the time – not without someone getting suspicious.

But he couldn't keep his distance. Not when he felt Sarah needed all the friends she could get. So he went to his hotel room to freshen up, then stopped by the florist on the way. He wasn't sure if she was the kind of girl who liked flowers, but he didn't want to show up empty handed and he figured her stomach might not be settled enough for chocolate.

When he got to Calvin's bedroom though, he saw her in Preston's arms. He looked to the flowers in his hands and then sighed.

"I don't think now's a good time to ask her on a date," Brody said as he walked up the stairs. Levi turned around and shook his head. He gestured to the flowers.

"A get well soon gift."

Brody didn't look convinced, though Levi wasn't completely lying. He had brought the flowers to cheer her up. He had no intention on asking her out – today.

"Am I that obvious?"

"That, or I just know you really well," Brody said.

"Mick knew too."

"Then you must be obvious," Brody chuckled. "Though, writing a song for her the day you met is also kind of a giveaway."

"Do you think it's a good idea?" Levi asked. "You know, eventually?"

Brody shrugged his shoulders, "Hey, it's not me you're asking out. I don't know."

"Yeah, but, if it were you…"

"If it were me, I don't think I'd go out with a teammate," Brody said. "It's just not my thing. I have other things I want to focus on and I don't want to let something like a relationship get in the way of that."

"Hayley and Calvin…"

"Were dating before all this," Brody said.

"Mick thinks it's a bad idea. Just because I decided to be a teacher… she's not even in my music class."

"It would look a little weird," Brody nodded his head. "You would be dating a student. And you are older than the rest of us."

"She's… different from the other girls I met."

"So is Hayley," Brody pointed out and then he turned to Levi, "Here's the big question, though. Do you like Sarah, or do you like the idea of finally dating someone who doesn't idolize you?"

"What?"

"Levi, we may not have known each other for very long, but when we hang out, you always talk about how it's nice to finally have a normal life. You were happy when I treated you more like a regular person than a celebrity. Now you have a crush on the girl who wasn't happy that you singled her out for a song. Do you think, maybe, you like the idea of dating someone who sees you as a person, more than you actually like-like Sarah?"

"I don't know."

"Sarah isn't ready to date," Brody said. "Until then, she'll need a friend. Part of me thinks you do too."

Levi nodded his head. He couldn't argue with Brody's logic. Looking back, he had started to fall for Sarah once she started treating him like she would the rest of her friends. He offered the flowers to Brody, who took them and walked into Calvin's room, finally breaking up Preston and Sarah's hug. He gave the flowers to Sarah.

"From all of us," he said and glanced quickly to Levi, who nodded. "We thought maybe they might cheer you up."


	9. Breakfast Chat

Jenny was home late that night. She had spent the day in Angel Grove HQ, covering all the details of what happened with Sarah's kidnapping. She wanted to be sure there was no way Kathryn or Drex could convince the jury that there was any reasonable doubt. She had pictures of Sarah's injuries, medical records from Mick of what they had done to her.

It felt like a huge violation of privacy, but Jenny knew it needed to be done. Everything needed to be laid out, in clear view, so there was no wiggle room. By the time she left, Jordan and Gia had both promised her, independently, that they wouldn't rest until Kathryn and Drex were no longer a threat.

So when Jenny got the call that Sarah would be staying over with the other Rangers at Calvin's house, she was a little relieved. She didn't want Sarah to be waiting for her to get home, wondering why it was taking so long. She would have her friends to keep her busy and to help her if she needed it.

When she walked through the door, Shane was waiting up for her. She had barely filled him in on what happened. She had received the call about Sarah's missed appointment while he was out doing errands and her only focus had been Sarah until she was found. Shane had been confused when he came home to an empty house and had left plenty of voicemails.

He swallowed her in a tight bear hug before she could even think to take off her shoes. Jenny didn't realize how much she needed the hug until she was wrapped up in it. She finally let out a deep breath.

"They came back for her?" he asked. Jenny nodded her head. She had made some quick calls to him when she heard his voicemail, and had spoken to him on the phone on her drive back. "How is she?"

"I left her with Mick," Jenny answered. "He promised he would look after her. She's with her friends now."

"She's okay, then?"

"She'll be fine," Jenny said, repeating the promise Mick had made when she left Sarah with him.

"You want a drink?" Shane asked. Jenny saw the bottle of wine was already on the counter, sitting next to two glasses. She nodded her head.

"Please."

-Ninja-Steel-

Sarah didn't sleep well that night, tossing and turning in the bed. She had chills, she sweat, and occasionally, she had to reach for the waste basket that Hayley had provided for her. By the time the sun was up, she was sick of waiting for sleep and got up. She tiptoed past Hayley and Preston, who had stayed with her in the room that night, and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Her hands trembled as she opened the fridge to look for something to eat and she jumped when she heard Calvin's voice behind her.

"Have anything you want," he said.

Sarah shook her head. She didn't feel too hungry. She walked to the counter and sat down on the barstool. Once seated, she spotted the gorilla she had beaten up the day before. She glanced to Calvin.

"Sorry about him," she said. Calvin shrugged.

"Don't worry about it. Do you want me to make you something?"

"I'm not hungry."

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked. She hadn't eaten the pizza Brody ordered, and had stayed in her room when Levi and Preston went out to get everyone milkshakes. When Sarah didn't answer him, he knew he couldn't take no for an answer. "Let me at least make you toast."

She thanked him quietly and dropped her head in her hands. She was feeling better physically. Her bruises were still very tender and she wasn't as nauseated as she had been the day before, but she wasn't well.

Calvin placed a single slice of bread in the toaster and then checked the fridge to see if there was anything he could add to it that wouldn't make Sarah puke. He had heard her heaving all night and thought she had had enough.

"Principal Hastings was in shop class yesterday," he said, striking up a conversation that didn't begin with asking Sarah how she was doing, or trying to assure her that despite how she felt, she would be okay. "She's asking when the paint room will be repaired."

"What did Mick say?"

"He was still looking for quotes. Principal Hastings then tried to see the room for herself. She almost walked right in while you were still out of it," Calvin chuckled and Sarah smiled a little.

"Could you imagine?"

"She can be a bit flakey," Calvin said. "But I'm sure she wouldn't exactly brush off seeing a student unconscious in Mick's classroom."

"How did you stop her coming in?"

"Preston gave himself a paper cut," Calvin said. "But he played it off like he had cut himself on a saw. Principal Hastings rushed him to the nurse's office herself."

"I wish I could have seen that," Sarah smiled. Calvin gave her a nod. When the toast was ready, he put it on a plate, spread a thin layer of jam and gave it to Sarah.

"We missed you in math class," he said. "We were competing against Victor and Monty again. Could have used your mental calculator, especially since Brody's learned that using his Data Comm is cheating."

"I'll be back soon," Sarah promised him. Calvin pointed to her toast when he saw she hadn't yet reached for it. Sarah took a reluctant bite.

"I know. And we'll all be better for it. Mick analyzed your gunshot wound while you were under by the way. He says you're clear for Ranger duties now, so long as you don't overdo it. We can be six strong, finally. Well…"

He trailed off, and Sarah saw him eyeing her bruises. She gave him a comforting smile.

"Hey, the goal of a Ranger battle is to not get hit," she said. "If you need me, I'll be there."

"You can take more time off, you know," he said. "At least until you're feeling better."

"I really want to punch something," Sarah admitted. "Is it wrong of me to hope Galvanax tries something today?"

"Maybe a little," Calvin laughed. "Here, how about we make a deal. You wait until you're feeling less sick before coming back to battles, and in the time that takes, you can teach me to ride your hover board."

"You want to learn?"

"I'm fascinated by the mechanics," Calvin smiled. "I want to know how it works and feel it purr under my feet as I glide."

"Does Hayley get jealous?"

"Of us?" Calvin shook his head and waved off the question, "Hayley knows I love her."

"I meant of you and cars," Sarah chuckled. She had been quick to learn that Calvin had a passion for anything with an engine. The truck was always clean, always being tuned Calvin was always looking for ways to make it drive smoother and to make the radio sound better.

"A little," Calvin admitted with a teasing smirk. "But she knew my truck was my first love when we started dating."

"You know, riding my hoverboard is nothing like driving a car," she said. "You're going to fall off it."

"I can't have any less bruises than you do," Calvin told her. "Finish up your toast and then you can show me how it's done."

"Deal," Sarah smiled.


	10. A Shared Experience

Jenny didn't hear from Sarah all morning, despite the text messages she had sent asking if Sarah was okay and if she wanted to be picked up. She didn't know where Calvin lived exactly, and so couldn't just stop by to check in for herself. Eventually, she decided just to text Hayley and get an update from the white Ranger.

" _How is Sarah doing?"_

Her phone buzzed when Hayley replied.

" _She's feeling better."_

" _I wanted to stop by. Can I get the address?"_

" _I'll ask Sarah."_

Jenny found that response weird. Why would Hayley need to ask Sarah the address for Calvin's house? Or was she asking if it was okay with Sarah if Jenny came by? And if she was, why wouldn't it be?

" _Maybe give it a little more time,"_ Hayley's message read. _"Sarah's not ready to see you."_

Jenny put her phone down. Why didn't Sarah want to see her? Why couldn't she stop by?

"Look at this!" Shane said as he placed a magazine down in front of Jenny, showing her a skateboard that to her looked like all the others he had ever owned. "A must have."

"That's great, Shane," she responded absent-mindedly. Shane noticed she had her phone next to her hand on the counter.

"Was that Sarah? Is she doing okay?"

"That was Hayley."

"Is Sarah okay?" Shane felt concern growing in him. His time as a Ranger had taught him to stay calm when his friends, or the people he cared about, were in trouble. Panic wouldn't help them. He had also learned to relax once they were finally out of trouble. The morphing grid, or whatever Cam had called it once, chose its Rangers for a reason. They were strong, they were resilient. Little could keep them down, especially once they had their friends by their side.

Still, he hadn't heard from Sarah all day, so for the first sign of contact to be through Hayley did spark a little worry in him.

"I don't think she wants to talk to me," Jenny said. She looked up at Shane, "I think she's mad."

"At you?"

"I did everything I could," Jenny argued. "I mean, as soon as I heard there was trouble I…"

"Jenny, you can talk yourself crazy trying to figure out how Sarah feels, it's not going to help," Shane said. "You just have to ask her."

"I just tried and she turned me down."

"We don't know what Kathryn told her," Shane told his sister. "And we know it'll be some time, still, before Sarah's back to herself. You can't let this work you up. Maybe it's better to wait until she is feeling better."

"I want to be there for her, Shane," Jenny said. "She needs someone…"

"She's got someone. Five someones," Shane chuckled. He took his sister's hands. "She'll be okay."

"I'm just… I'm worried about her."

"I know," Shane nodded. He took his sister in his arms.

-Ninja-Steel-

As the day went on, Sarah had little time to herself. Her friends were all checking in on her, taking turns or staying with her in groups. She knew they wanted to be sure she was okay and they were worried that something would happen if she was on her own. She did enjoy their company, but she was starting to feel a little suffocated.

They let her have a little time to herself after dinner, sensing her frustration with them was starting to build. Irritability, she had learned, was part of her recovery, and while she did her best to keep it under control, if any of her friends asked her one more time how she was feeling, she wasn't sure she would be able to stop herself from clocking them in the jaw.

She sat on Calvin's bed, her fingers tracing her hoverboard, which she kept by her side. Calvin had shown her a good time in the morning when he let her teach him how to ride, but that wasn't what preoccupied her mind.

Her dad had helped her forget, and it worked in his favour that most of her memories with her mother would have been at an age where she was too young to have them stick. However, there were some things she never truly would have been able to forget.

It had all flooded back to her when her mother had called her by her former name.

Sarah Baker – the daughter of a prostitute. The child used by a pimp to lure other girls into his business.

She had been honest with Mick when she promised that Drex never touched her as a child. It wasn't his thing. He barely paid any attention to her unless he could use her to find new girls or to keep the police from looking at him twice. However, that didn't stop him from leaving his mark on her.

The screams of her mother and the other woman under his care echoed in her head. She remembered being told to ignore what happened as she ate, and was often put in front of the TV as a distraction. When that didn't work and she started to cry, she remembered being locked in her bedroom.

She remembered feeling hungry, or sad, or scared and asking her mother for attention. She remembered not getting it and starting to cry. Drex hated when she cried and would often yell at her to stop. He would grab her roughly by the arm and threaten that if she didn't stop, he'd leave her on the streets to die. She remembered once day, he dumped her in her crib, pretty much dropping her as soon as he knew she would fall inside. She had been old enough then that she managed to climb out. He shut the door to her room when he left so she hit it with her little fists.

He had been mad. He had been so mad that he pushed the door wide open, smacking her down as he did. She screamed louder, now in pain as well as in need of attention. She cried out for her mother. Drex pulled on her arm.

" _Shut up!"_ he shouted at her and Sarah screamed louder. She was in pain, she needed attention, and now she was scared. In the corner of her eye, she remembered seeing her mother sitting on the couch, paying no mind to her or to the way Drex hurt her.

Sarah's cries didn't stop, so Drex smacked her on the butt. It hurt, so she cried louder, again for her mother to help her. Drex told her to shut up, then smacked her again.

Sarah was screaming so loud now, she hurt her own ears. Drex was fed up and took her under his arm and brought her down to the basement, where her new aunts would stay before she got to meet them. Finally, she heard her mother protest.

" _Drex…"_

" _I'm just shutting her up,"_ he answered as he carried her down the stairs. Sarah couldn't remember if he owned a dog, but knew he must have because there was a dog cage ready for him. He shoved her inside, locked her in and then left. Her screams now muted by distance.

Sarah remembered fighting her cage. She stomped her feet in anger, grabbed the bars and rattled it as much as she could, but she didn't get out. She screamed and screamed until her little body was too tired. She fell asleep on the cold metal floor.

When she woke up, there was a sippy cup with water for her and the dog bowl had been filled with fruit loops.

The fruit loops and her water had both been long gone before Drex finally came down to get her. He pulled her weak, tired body out of the cage and forced her to stand in front of him.

" _One more cry out of you, for anything,"_ he had said, _"and this is where you're going to live. Understood?"_

A hand touched her shoulder. Sarah jumped out of her thoughts. She found Brody looking to her.

"You okay?" he asked. Sarah wiped the tears from her face and nodded.

"Just thinking."

"Anything you want to talk about," he said. "Anything at all?"

"Are you on Sarah duty?"

"I'm your friend," he said. He sat down on the bed. "Hayley heard again from your step-mother."

"Oh."

"She's still asking if she can come."

"Brody…"

"You don't have to say yes, Sarah, but maybe it's a good idea to talk to someone who knows," he suggested.

"She doesn't know."

"Sarah…"

"She doesn't know because I wasn't old enough to tell dad anything," Sarah said. "By the time I was old enough to realize living in a whore house wasn't normal, I had forgotten about it."

Brody nodded his head, "You block out the bad stuff, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I did too," Brody said. "Up on Galvanax' ship, it wasn't always secret chats with Mick and RedBot and pretending like I was doing my job, you know."

Sarah let herself relax a little. Brody had been very forthcoming about his time on Galvanax's ship when she and Preston had first met him. He told them how Galvanax killed his father and took him as a prisoner. On the ship was where he met RedBot and Mick, and ten years later, they helped him to escape.

But that was all Sarah knew. Until now, it never occurred to her that that wasn't the whole story.

"I had free range on that ship because Galvanax drilled it into me that if I even thought about leaving, I'd be in for a world of hurt," Brody said, and then lifted his shirt to show Sarah some scars. They were long since healed, but Brody's message was clear. "You didn't think the monster trying to conquer the whole galaxy would treat his prisoners with compassion, did you?"

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," Brody smiled. "I remembered being scared, alone in my cell. I missed my dad, I was worried for Aiden. I'm pretty sure I was crying, too. Mick was in the cell next to me. He talked me down and then got me to talk about what I had been through. Once I shared it, it didn't feel as heavy."

"Do you still think about it?"

"All the time," Brody nodded. "I have nightmares too. I always have. It's part of the deal, I guess. You know, it's never not going to hurt, but it gets easier."

"Drex was abusive," Sarah said. "When I realized I was back with him, it's like… it's like that power he had over me before was back. Even when I tried to fight it, I didn't feel strong enough."

"That's not the case anymore," Brody told her. "You got out of there. You did beat him."

"But Brody, I was scared."

"Galvanax terrifies me," Brody said. "But what lets me face him, face all those monsters that hurt me before is knowing I have my friends with me. You and the others make me feel stronger."

"He's not going to hurt you again," Sarah promised Brody. He nodded and smiled back at her.

"Drex can't hurt you either. Not while you have us," he said. "You're not alone against him anymore."


	11. Fear

Physical injuries healed. Emotional ones had a habit of sticking around.

Sarah was feeling better. Her bruises were slowly clearing up, though right now they were an awful shade of dark brown and purple and she was no longer feeling sick or unlike herself. She had a little more energy and felt a little more in control of herself, which was always welcomed.

Calvin's parents were home before Sarah's recovery was finished, but she managed to spend the next couple of nights at Hayley's house. She wouldn't go home, despite Jenny's insistence. Sarah still wasn't sure how she felt about her step-mother keeping such a big secret from her.

Of course, she wasn't surprised her step-mother knew her mother had been a bad woman. Given her mother's profession, she was sure her dad would have told Jenny about his own past with her. She would have to know what she was getting into.

What really burned Sarah was the lie her step-mother told that led her into trouble. She had allowed Sarah to believe that her first kidnapping was a random act. She had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and Kathryn and Drex chose her out of convenience. Had she known Kathryn was her mother, and had Jenny thought to remind her that her mother was a terrible woman, Sarah would have been a lot more cautious on her walk to her physiotherapy appointment. She would have been able to recognize her mother sooner, and maybe get away before there was trouble.

Hayley's parents had kicked both girls out of the house for the night. Without knowing what had happened, they didn't see a problem in asking Sarah to head home and asking Hayley to spend the night at Calvin's house or even Sarah's so they could have their own little date night.

"I still don't want to think about it," Hayley said as she stood by Sarah's locker, waiting for the pink Ranger to gather her books so they could leave together. "They could be doing it… right now…"

She shuttered at the thought of her parents on their date. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Now you know how I felt sleeping in Calvin's bed," she said. "The one you rightfully described to me as so comfortable it would be like sleeping on a cloud."

"I guess it could be worse," Hayley nodded. Sarah shut her locker and looked up at the white Ranger.

"So how many texts from Jenny?"

"Thirty five."

"Today?"

"I really think you should talk to her," Hayley suggested. Sarah made a face. "She was really worried about you, you know. I'm sure if she could do it again, she would have told you sooner."

"So you're on her side?"

"I'm on yours," Hayley promised. "I think she should have said something. I really do agree with you, Sarah. But you should head home sometime, right?"

"Your parents liked having me around."

"I don't think they'd want you moving in," Hayley said. "Though you did help with the dishes more than Calvin ever did. I think you made a better first impression that he did."

"Parents like me."

"Talk to Jenny. If you don't like what she says, you can crash with me and Calvin tonight," Hayley promised. Sarah sighed.

"Fine."

-Ninja-Steel-

Heeding Hayley's advice, and knowing that Hayley was getting frustrated with being the middle man for her and Jenny, Sarah went home after school. She hopped off her hoverboard once she was in the driveway and slowly walked to the door. When she was inside, Jenny rushed to greet her. She stopped once she saw the heavy bruises. She had seen them before, but in the few days that had passed since then, she had forgotten just how bad they looked.

"Stop blowing up Hayley's phone," Sarah said. She leaned her hoverboard against the wall and took off her helmet. "You're really starting to piss her off."

"Sarah…"

"I don't really want to talk," Sarah said and started to walk to her room. Jenny let out a defeated sigh, allowing Sarah to believe she had won.

Shane stepped out of the living room at this point, "You've been gone for four days, Sarah. You don't get to come home like that."

Sarah turned to Shane and glared, "I really don't need you trying to be a dad right now."

"You know that's not what I'm doing," Shane said. "You worried your mother sick."

" _Step_ -mother."

"Sarah, you have to believe me," Jenny said. "I did everything I could to keep this from happening. It's been a living nightmare for me."

"For you?" Sarah screamed. "My mother's a fucking prostitute and sold me to her pimp!"

"Sarah…"

"I was taught how to submit myself to a man!" Sarah shouted. "They tried to condition me to think that it was flattering if a man wanted to control me! That's your fault!"

"Sarah, that's not fair," Shane said, raising his voice now that Sarah was yelling, just so he could be heard. However, when he did that, he noticed the way Sarah jumped. It was brief, and she had quickly composed herself afterwards and was now glaring him down, but he had seen it.

Fear.

Jenny didn't seem to notice, "Sarah, please listen…"

"Fuck you!" Sarah shouted and stormed into her bedroom. The door slammed shut, but that didn't stop Jenny from following her daughter up the stairs. She knocked on the door, but knew better than to enter.

"When your father first told me about you, he made it very clear he didn't want it to be discussed openly around you," she tried to explain. "I wasn't supposed to tell you anything, not unless you asked me about it point blank! I tried to honour that."

Something hit the door. Jenny wouldn't be turned away.

"I know I made a mistake. I know it hurt you," she said. "Sarah, I… I really didn't know what to do. When Kathryn escaped I… I thought about telling you, but your father, he was very clear and… I'm very sorry."

"Jen," Shane whispered as he arrived behind her. "She's scared."

"What?"

"She's scared."

It took a minute for Jenny to process what Shane was trying to tell her. Scared was never a word used to describe Sarah. The girl had been fearless since the day Jenny had met her, and took on challenges with a positive attitude. Things that would have terrified Jenny when she was a child seemed to draw Sarah in. She liked to explore risks. She didn't get scared.

But of course, there had to be things that scared her. No one was truly fearless. And after what she had been through, there was no doubt in Jenny's mind that her daughter had to feel completely and utterly terrified.

And it had to be stronger than Jenny's fear. It had to be worse. Sarah had been through the unimaginable, and though she fought her way out, though she was safe now, there had to have been times when she had her doubts. Times where she feared she would be hurt – or even killed.

Suddenly, having Sarah screaming at her didn't seem so bad. Jenny opened the door to Sarah's bedroom and though her daughter yelled at her for coming in, Jenny walked towards her. She sat down on the bed and took the pink Ranger in her arms.

"I am so sorry," she whispered and she held Sarah tight. "I won't let it happen again. From now on, total honesty – both ways. I promise you, Sarah. I promise."


End file.
